Need help... Do you know anything about this Uke?

Honu

Honu

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I have an opportunity to buy this Uke but I'm trying to get some more information about this before I go see it tomorrow. Any help would appreciated. I know the photos seem blurry but this is the only ones that was sent to me. It looks like the 1930's pineapple soprano found on the Kamaka homepage. The logo and the pineapple in the middle seem to match the picture on their homepage but the wood seems to be way darker than the example.

photo (1).JPGphoto (2).JPGphoto (3).JPG
 
It sure looks like an early 30s Kamaka Blue decal pineapple with the white label.....could the darker would be the patina built up over the years.....can you tell if the wood is koa?
 
Last edited:
mm stan said:
It sure looks like an early 30s Kamaka Blue decal pineapple with the white label.....could the darker would be the patina built up over the years.....can you tell if the wood is koa?
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I'll have to check it out once I see it in person. Is there a way for me to check if it is just really a build up?


itsme said:
How much do they want for it? And how much do you want it?
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Their asking price is $250.00. There has been some repairs to it over the years but it is supposed to be in good working condition. My UAS has been all about buying old Ukes lately. If this is the real deal I would really want it to be part of my collection.
 
I think $250 would be a really good deal if it is in playable condition. I have seen similarly aged Kamaka pineapples on eBay in which the koa is quite dark. Also, it can be amazing what a good cleaning can do for an instrument which has sat out for many, many years. I am excited for you! When do you go see it?
 
Good Luck! What an amazing uke to add to your collection! I'll keep my fingers crossed that it turns out to be what you are hoping!
 
Seeing "repairs" thrown out there that vaguely worries me when I hear that about instruments. Too often have I heard someone say "oh its $___ blah blah blahh and it has had some repairs" and it turns out that the neck had snapped, or the headstock had snapped off. I wouldn't buy anything that I wanted to PLAY that had a repaired neck, for a collection or display is another matter completely. But with something that old, if there were any repairs to it that were not done in a way that would be original to its making.......... well I'd really have to think about it.
 
Koa can be pretty dark. I have one that vintage that someone "cleaned", but it was the same price with no obvious serious repairs, and no pineapple. I wanted it solely as a player. I'd thus be more concerned if it was too clean. For the price if it only has some cracks for example that were neatly repaired, if it looks sound overall and sings for you, you'll know whether to get it. They usually bring at minimum triple the asking price with all that rope binding and an intact decal. Even if the strings are crap I have found you can usually hear the nature of the voice inherent in the uke.
 
I finally got a chance to check out the Uke. It was made of mahogany. Really nice except that the owner sat on the neck and the neck splintered off. It was repaired but it looked like it was just glued together with Super Glue. Couldn't get it in tune. Really sad because everything else looked really nice.
 
Honu said:
I finally got a chance to check out the Uke. It was made of mahogany. Really nice except that the owner sat on the neck and the neck splintered off. It was repaired but it looked like it was just glued together with Super Glue. Couldn't get it in tune. Really sad because everything else looked really nice.
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Splintered off?? Ouch!
 
Dane said:
Splintered off?? Ouch!
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Yeah... I could actually see the parts that were missing chunks of wood. Like I said it's a shame. The kamaka label inside and the pineapple design was still in hood shape.
 
Honu said:
Yeah... I could actually see the parts that were missing chunks of wood. Like I said it's a shame. The kamaka label inside and the pineapple design was still in hood shape.
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Well how much is it really worth in that condition? Maybe you could get it cheap off him, especially since it's un-usable, and then send it off to kamaka and have them repair it with a new neck and all. That could be really cool, old with the new, but all from the same line of family luthiers.
 
Teek said:
Koa can be pretty dark. I have one that vintage that someone "cleaned", but it was the same price with no obvious serious repairs, and no pineapple. I wanted it solely as a player. I'd thus be more concerned if it was too clean. For the price if it only has some cracks for example that were neatly repaired, if it looks sound overall and sings for you, you'll know whether to get it. They usually bring at minimum triple the asking price with all that rope binding and an intact decal. Even if the strings are crap I have found you can usually hear the nature of the voice inherent in the uke.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. Teek is right on this. With a perfect decal on the headstock and the body, as these appear to be, this could be a great find. A lot of vintage instruments have reparied body cracks... no big deal.
 
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